Women’s DMR Clocks Top-10 Performance in Collegiate History to Score on Day One of NCAA Championships
VIRGINIA BEACH – The LSU track and field team closed out their first day of action at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Friday, hosted by Norfolk State at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. After a day of competition, the LSU women have five points with plenty of opportunities to score on day two.
Entering this weekend, the women’s distance-medley relay consisting of Callie Hardy (1200m), Ella Onojuvwevwo (400m), Michaela Rose (800m) and Lorena Rangel Batres (1600m) were ranked 12th overall in a loaded field. As usual, the four Tigers found a way to reach a new level and break barriers for the LSU program.
After the first two legs the LSU team found themselves in last place with a time of 4:19.50 after 1600 meters. Rose stepped up and clocked an 800-meter split of 2:01.70 on the third leg to push the team from last to fifth before handing off to her best friend Rangel Batres. The Mexican-mile record holder, Lorena Rangel Batres, put on a stellar final 1600 meters with a time of 4:25.98 to push the Tigers from fifth to fourth and earn LSU five points. The final time of 10:47.17 for the Tigers ranks them seventh on the all-time collegiate performance list, was the third LSU record of the season in the event and was the first sub-10:50 performance in program history.
Prior to the DMR, the trio of Onojuvwevwo, Rose and Rangel Batres had to qualify in their individual events.
Rangel Batres was the first runner of the day for LSU, taking on the mile and finishing fifth overall in her heat with 4:35.15. She earned a time-qualifying spot by finishing fifth in the fastest heat of the day, and was the sixth fastest overall in the two heats.
The 400-meter specialist, Ella Onojuvwevwo, cruised to a heat win in a tightly-contested finish with a time of 51.61 seconds in heat two. Onojuvwevwo was fourth overall after the numbers were crunched but was one of three athletes to finish with 51.61 seconds in the two through four spots.
The third member of the DMR to compete this afternoon individually was Rose, taking her 800-meter heat in a close battle at the line. Rose finished with a time of 2:01.42, which was the fourth-fastest clocking in the prelim round.
For the second meet in a row the Tigers got a bad break in the women’s 60-meter final as the nation leader Tima Godbless was given a FS after reacting to the lane next to her. After the red card was given, Brianna Lyston was able to take second in the retry of the heat with a time of 7.17 seconds. The time of 7.17 put her at fifth in the prelims, and was the fourth-fastest auto qualifier of the day to advance her to the final.
The men’s night started off in great fashion as sophomore Jaiden Reid took on his first of two prelims on the night in the 60 meter. He made up ground near the finish and almost made his way into the 60m final, but finished as the first one outside of the final by .001 of second with a PR of 6.56 seconds. Reid was previously tied for third in LSU history with Godson Oghenebrume at 6.58, and moved into sole possession of third with his new best. He will most definitely look to take the LSU record of 6.51 seconds held by Richard “Torpedo” Thompson in 2026.
Reid went on to put on an even better performance in the 200-meter prelims, winning his heat and auto-qualifying for the final with a time of 20.40 seconds. His time ranked third in the prelims and was behind the two runners he finished bronze behind at the SEC Indoor Championships two weeks ago.
Over in the men’s 60-meter hurdles, Jahiem Stern was able to squeeze his way into the final by .009 of a second. The junior clocked a time of 7.60 (7.591) seconds to finish fifth in the first heat and claim the eighth overall spot as the last one into the final. The ninth-place finisher clocked 7.60 (7.600) as the first one out.
NCAA Indoor Championships Competition Guide | Saturday, March 15
1:20 p.m. – Women’s Triple Jump Final – Machaeda Linton
2:00 p.m. – Women’s Mile Final – Lorena Rangel Batres
2:10 p.m. – Women’s 60 Meter Final – Brianna Lyston
2:20 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meter Final – Ella Onojuvwevwo
2:30 p.m. – Women’s 800 Meter Final – Michaela Rose
5:40 p.m. – Men’s 60-Meter Hurdle Final – Jahiem Stern
5:50 p.m. – Men’s 200 Meter Final – Jaiden Reid
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